Toroidal core winding head



Aug. 5, 1969 K. P. GORMAN I 3,459,334

TOROIDAL CORE WINDING HEAD Filed Jan. 13, 1966 4, Sheets-Sheet 1 'g- 5, 1969 K. P. GORMAN 7 3,459,384

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United States Patent 3,459,384 TOROIDAL CORE WINDING HEAD Kenneth P. Gorman, 480 S. Main St., Randolph, Mass. 02368 Filed Jan. 13, 1966, Ser. No. 520,466 Int. Cl. B6511 81/02 US. Cl. 242-4 6 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A toroidal core winding machine having an annular shuttle, with a shuttle plate positioned adjacent to the shuttle having an arcuate periphery extending radially outward of the periphery along a portion thereof. An elongated wire-engaging band extends laterally on either side of the plane of the shuttle and is supported in fixed relation to it. The wire wound on the shuttle is dropped from the shuttle to the toroidal core with the band functioning as a fixed slider that does not pass through the core.

The present invention relates to an improved toroidal core Winding mechanism and, in particular, to an improved means for winding wire about the walls of a toroidal core. More particularly, the present invention is an improvement over toroidal core winding mechanism heads such, for example, as described in my Patent 3,061,213 issued Oct. 30, 1962.

The toroidal core winding heads which were heretofore available can wind 2. very limited range of wire and core sizes. These limits are determined by the thickness of the moving shuttle from which the wire is dropped onto the core. The thickness of the shuttle is in turn partially dependent upon a slider or other element which ordinarily is attached to the shuttle, which must pass through the core being wound. Some attempts have been made to eliminate a wire slider; but machines which have utilized shuttles without sliders in them have other inherent limitations and defects which make them substantially unsuited for commercial production of toroids having small diameter cores with relatively large diameter wires.

The present invention provides a means which permits the winding of heavier wire on cores having narrower dimensioned apertures or holes than heretofore possible. The present invention also provides a toroidal core winding head which is adapted to be used with relatively narrow dimensioned shuttles that do not require the use of sliders and which thereby permit the use of shuttles having greater wire capacity. The present invention also provides a means for relatively fast winding of toroidal cores as well as a fast loading of wire on the shuttle. This speed is attained in part by utilization of a winding head having a shuttle in which the shuttle is loaded with wire and in which wire is dropped from the shuttle onto the core without reversing the direction or movement of the shuttle.

The present invention also provides an improved means for winding toroidal cores with relatively heavy wire onto narrow dimensioned cores with little likelihood of damage to the wire insulation.

A further object and advantage of the present invention is to provide a combination of a shuttle adapted to support a plurality of loops of wire in combination with a fixed shuttle plate having a periphery extending partially circumferentially about and outwardly of the shuttle with the periphery of the shuttle plate engaging a magnetwire-retaining band which is preferably formed with a resilient fibrous-like surface engaging the periphery of the shuttle plate. A further object of this invention is to provide an improved toroidal core winding head wherein 3,459,384 Patented Aug. 5, 1969 wire is retained within a shuttle by fixed means external of the shuttle with these fixed means adapted to engage the shuttle as it rotates and preferably comprising the combination of a band with a point contact preferably in the form of a brush.

The comparative references made herein are with respect to prior art heads and their effectiveness in winding comparable toroidal cores.

These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will be more clearly understood when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a front view of the invention, looking slightly upward;

FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the invention with the brush 104 moved away from the shuttle plate 88;

FIG. 3 is a side view of the invention looking from the right of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a side view of the invention looking from the left of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary cross-sectional detail taken along the line 5-5 of FIG. 3.

The invention as illustrated in the accompanying drawing is adapted to be used with and forms a portion of a toroidal core winding machine. The other portions of the machine include, principally, drive means for the present invention and support means for the toroidal core which is to be wound, as well as the desired number of accessories including, for example, a counter, a speed control for the operation of the present invention at desired speeds, as well as means for suitably rotating the toroidal core to be wound on its supporting element.

For purposes of clarity and understanding of the construction and operation of the present device, the side to the left in FIG. 3 shall be considered the front, and to the right of FIG. 3 the rear of the toroidal core winding head which embodies this invention. Normally, this unit is supported on a casing or frame which forms the major support for the entire toroidal core winding machine with the surface 1 of the bottom wall of the housing block 2 being secured by suitable means, such as screws, to a horizontal portion of the casing. This housing block 2 comprises essentially a solid metal unit having side walls 3 and 4, rear and front walls 5 and 6 respectively. Four shafts 10, 11, 12 and 13, extend through the block 2 with two of these shafts, 10 and 11, journaled for rotation in fixed bearings in the block 2. The other two shafts, 12 and 13, are journaled for rotation in bearings eccentrically mounted in short shafts or cylindrical members 8 and 9 respectively, which shafts 8 and 9 are of substantially greater diameter than the shafts 12 and 13. Shafts 8 and 9 in turn have mounted on them intermeshed cam gears 18 and 19 respectively, which fit within adjacent cylindrical recesses in the housing block 2 and which are adapted for interengaging rotation over a limited arc whereby movement of one of the shafts 8 or 9 will cause corresponding movement in an opposite direction of the other of the shafts 8 or 9; and, consequently, corresponding movement of shafts 12 and 13. The shafts 8 and 9 may be suitably secured to the housing block 2 by any suitable conventional means such, for example, as a split lock washer (partially shown) at 14 in FIG. 3. The intermeshed cam gears 18 and 19 within the adjacent recesses 16 and 17 respectively, may be suitably keyed and locked to the shafts 8 and 9 respectively by suitable means, such, for example, as the split lock washers 15 partially shown in FIG. 4.

Supported on the shafts 10, 11, 13 and 12, are the pulleys 20, 21, 22 and 23 respectively, each preferably of equal diameter and fixed to rotate with their respective shafts. A pulley 24 of greater diameter than the pulleys 20, 21, 22 and 23, and having a plurality of grooves 25 (FIG. 1) adapted to receive power driven belts (not shown) is mounted on a shaft 26, in turn suitably journaled in the housing block 2. The outer end of the pulley 24 may be provided with a knurled handle 27 adapted to permit hand rotation of the pulley 24. A plurality, preferably two, of endless, resilient, flexible elastic belts 28 and 29 extend continuously about the outside of pulleys 20, 21, 22 and 23 with a portion of the belts 28 and 29 between pulleys 22 and 23 on the inside of another pulley 30 which is only partially shown in FIG. 1. Pulley 30 is not shown in FIG. 4 as it is coaxially mounted and secured to shaft 26 below pulley 24 which is of greater diameter than pulley 30. Pulley 30 is of the same diameter as pulleys 20, 21, 22 and 23. The resilience of the belts 28 and 29 is such as to provide a frictional engagement between these five mentioned pulleys 20, 21, 22 and 23 and 30 whereby rotation of the drive pulley 24 will be translated to the pulleys 20, 21, 22 and 23 so as to cause them all to rotation in a direction opposite to the rotation of pulley 30. Pulley 24 may be driven by belts (not shown) which extend about the grooves 25 and suitably connect this pulley to a drive source which is also not shown, but which normally forms a part of the toroidal core winding machine to which the present invention is attached.

A lever control generally indicated at 31 (FIG. 4) is secured to shaft 8 at an end portion which projects outwardly beyond side wall 4. This lever control 31 comprises a collar section 32 which fits snugly about the projecting end of shaft 8 and is secured to it by a locking screw 33 which extends through adjacent sides 32a and 32b of this split collar section 32. This locking screw 33 may be adjusted to secure the lever control 31 to the shaft 8 with any degree of tightness. The projecting end 34 of the lever control 31 is provided with a finely threaded shaft 35 which is threaded through a correspondingly threaded opening in the end 34. This shaft 35 is provided with a knob 36 at its upper end. The lower end terminates in a bulbous enlargement 37 (FIG. 1). This bulbous enlargement 37 forms a tip which is adapted to project between the spaced and symmetrical side walls 38 and 39 of the clip 40. This engaging clip 40 is preferably formed of a single piece of resilient metal with its side walls 38 and 39 forming engaging arms slightly tapered at their upper ends and terminating at the upper ends in an outwardly flared or turned edge, as is illustrated at 41 in FIG. 1. The side walls 38 and 39 are adapted to engage the bulbous enlargement 37 of the threaded shaft 35 when the lever control 31 is pivoted toward the clip 40 with the lever control being secured by a screw to the block 2. Rotation of the threaded shaft 35 will thereby adjustably locate the rotational position of shaft 8 and, consequently, shaft 9, at a fixed location when the lever control 31 is engaged through the threaded shaft bulbous enlargement 37 with the clip 40.

Positioned in the other side of the block 2 and extending from side wall 3 are four driving rolls 42, 43, 44 and 45 (FIG. 1). Driving rolls 42 and 43 are rigidly fixed to the ends of the shafts and 11 respectively which project outwardly beyond the side wall 3. Collar members 46 and 47 (see FIG. 1) are positioned between the driving rolls 42 and 43 respectively and the wall 3, with the collar members 46 and 47 coaxial with shafts 10 and 11 respectively. These collar members may, if desired, form a portion of a journal member supporting these shafts 10 and 11. Suitable lock washers, as illustrated at 48, may be positioned on the shafts 10 and 11 to secure the respective components mounted thereon in fixed relative position one to the other. Driving rolls 44 and 45 are rigidly mounted on shafts 12 and 13 respectively, shafts 12 and 13 in turn, as previously indicated, are mounted for eccentric movement upon movement of shafts 8 and 9. Driving rolls 44 and 45 are also spaced from the side wall 3 a distance which is equal to the distance at which driving rolls 42 and 43 are spaced from the side walls 3. Collar members 49 and 50 may be integrally formed or secured to the shafts 8 and 9 with these collar members 49 and 50 substantially similar in size and shape to collar members 46 and 47. These collar members 49 and 50 may be used to space the driving rolls 44 and 45 at a proper distance from wall 3 with lock washers 51 interposed between these collar members 49 and 50 and the driving rolls 44 and 45 respectively. The driving rolls 42, 43, 44 and 45 are each of identical size and diameter. Rolls 42, 43 and 44 are preferably made of steel while roll 45 is made of a plastic material such, for example, as nylon. The rolls are mounted for rotation with the shafts 10, 11, 12 and 13. Each driving roll 42, 43, 44 and 45 is formed with an annular groove at its free end. Within this annular groove may be positioned an O-ring with a portion of the O-ring projecting into the groove and adapted to engage the side wall of a shuttle 52. This construction of a drive roll is the same as the construction illustrated in my issued Patent 3,061,- 213 in FIGS. 6 and 7.

The shuttle 52 comprises a split ring having a U-shaped cross section preferably along its entire circumference (FIG. 5). This shuttle is sized and shaped to be mounted on the driving rolls 42, 43, 44 and 45 with the side walls of the shuttle being engaged by the annular grooves on the free ends of the driving rolls. The shuttle 52 is normally provided with a small hole in its wall (not shown) to receive the free end of a wire which is to be wound upon the shuttle. The shuttle may be removed from the driving rolls 42, 43, 44 and 45 by disengagement of the lever control from the clip 40. Movement of the knob 36 as viewed in FIG. 4 in a counterclockwise direction to disengage this lever control from the clip 40 will cause the shafts 12 and 13 which carry the driving rolls 44 and 45 to move eccentrically about shafts 8 and 9 and thereby in general forwardly towards driving rolls 42 and 43, thus disengaging the grooves of the driving rolls 44 and 45 from the walls of the shuttle 52.

Shuttles which have been used heretofore ordinarily are provided with a wire slider. The function of this slider is to secure wire mounted in the shuttle and to allow this wire to pay off the shuttle at a selected and constant rate as the wire is being dropped from the shuttle onto the toroidal core. In the present invention, a wire control member generally illustrated at 53 (FIG. 3) is utilized. In this wire control member there is provided an elongated flexible metal band 54. This flexible metal band is adapted to extend around substantially the rear half of the shuttle 52 in its mounted position on the toroidal core winding head. This metal band has bonded to one surface a felt pad 55. This felt pad covers the entire inner surface of the metal band 54 and is formed with a series of transverse grooves 56 positioned preferably about to /2" apart. It has been found that these grooves assure a tight wrap of the wire about the core as it is dropped from the shuttle onto the core. The band 54 is positioned so that the shuttle 52 will lie in a plane intermediate the side edges of the band 54 with the outer periphery of the shuttle 52 spaced from the inner surface of pad 55. The pad 53 engages the outer periphery of the shuttle plate 88, hereafter described. The lower end of the band 54 is secured to a lower support 57 (FIG. 3). This lower support 57 comprises a mounting block 58 to which the metal band 54 is screwed by screw 59. The block 58 in turn is pivotally secured to a disc 60 by a pin 61 which extends through block 58 into disc 60. Disc 60 is in turn rotably mounted on arm 62 by a pin 63. Arm 62 is secured to the block 2 by suitable means such as screws 64. The disc 60 is limited in rotation by a pin 65 which projects from arm 62 into an enlarged opening 66 in the disc 60, thus permitting rotation of the disc 60 over an are determined by the relative oversize of the opening 66 with respect to the diameter of pin 65. The disc 60' is normally tensioned in a counterclockwise position as viewed in FIG. 3 by a spring 67 which is engaged at one end to the screw 68 which is threaded into disc 60 and at its other end to a stud 69 which projects from arm 62. If desired, the amount of tension on the disc 60 generated by spring 67 may be controlled by adjustably positioning stud 69.

Also secured to block 58 is a bracket 70 by means of a screw 71 which extends through the bracket 70 into the block 58. A thick felt pad 72 is secured and supported on this bracket 70. This thick felt pad has an upper end 73 which is adapted to be positioned close to the edge of the shuttle at a point immediately below driving roll 43.

The upper end of the metal band 54 is secured to block 74 by suitable means such as the set screw 75 which secures the end of the band within a slot in the block 74. The block 74 is in turn secured to a lever mechanism 76. This lever mechanism 76 is formed with legs 77 and 78 integral with one another at their adjacent ends. The block 74 is secured to the free end of leg 77. The free end of leg 78 is pivotally secured by suitable means (not shown) to the block 2. A knob 80 is secured to the lever mechanism 76 to rotate it about its pivot point. A threaded shaft 79 extends through leg 78. This threaded shaft is provided with a knob end 82 (FIG. 1) which is adapted to engage the clip 83 which is similar in construction and shape to clip 40. Clip 83 is preferably mounted on the side of block 2 opposite to that on which clip 40 is mounted with the two clips preferably in parallel alignment. The upper end of threaded shaft 79 is provided with a knob 84 which may be used to adjust the location of the threaded shaft in leg 78. This arrangement is useful in positioning the felt pad carried by the metal band 54 at selected distances from the open channel portion of the shuttle 52.

Also secured to the block 74 is a brush 85 which may, if desired, be secured to the block 74 by a bracket or other suitable means. This brush 85 is adapted to engage wire positioned in the shuttle as the shuttle rotates.

A shuttle plate 88 is substantially circular in shape except for a forward chordal section defined by a chordlike line 89. The space between the shuttle 52 and the chord-like line 89 of the shuttle plate 88 is provided to receive a toroidal core which is positioned with the split ring shuttle 52 extending through the center of the toroidal core. The periphery of the shuttle plate 88 extending from approximately point 86 to approximately point 87 is arcuately flared inwardly toward the shuttle 52 (FIG. 5) with this flared portion or lip defining an edge substantially in planar alignment with the outer wall of the shuttle 52. It will be noted that shuttle plate 88 is engaged by the felt pad 55 from a position indicated at about point 86 to the point indicated at point 87. These points are preferably about or more than 180 apart. An inwardly flared section 90 at the forward lower edge of the shuttle plate 88 extends substantially from point 87 to the chord-like line 89 with this inwardly flared portion extending inwardly beyond the inner wall of the shuttle 52. The shuttle plate 88 is supported and secured to lever arm 91 by a shaft 92 (FIG. 1). The shaft 92 may be secured to a mounting plate 93 on the inner surface of the shuttle plate 88 with the other end of the shaft 92 positioned in an opening in the lever arm 91 and secured thereto by a set screw (not shown). The lever arm 91 is in turn secured and supported on a shaft (not shown) which is coaxial with knob 94. This shaft in turn is supported on a base plate 95 which is fixed to supporting rod 96. Supporting rod 96 is secured to the block 2 by supporting rod 97 to which it is connected by a block-like bracket 98. Also commonly supported on the shaft to which the lever arm 91 is pivoted is a lever arm 99. Lever arm 99 extends at right angles to lever arm 91 and is secured in fixed relation to it so that movement of lever arm 99 will cause relative and corresponding movement of lever arm 91. Lever arm 99 is provided with a handle 100 at its free extreme end. Adjustably positioned on lever arm 99 is a bracket 101. This bracket carries a forwardly extending brush arm 102 to which is secured at its forward end a brush 103. Brush 103 is preferably formed with a dielectric handle portion 104 secured by suitable means to the arm 102. At the free end of the dielectric handle portion 104 are brush fibers 105 which are adapted to be moved into touching relation with the outer surface of shuttle plate 88 upon movement of the bracket 101 toward the shuttle plate 88. The brush fibers 105 are, however, shown in spaced relation to the shuttle plate in FIG. 2. If desired, a counter wire 106 (FIG. 3) may be mounted on the brush 103. This counter wire 106 projects through the brush and is adapted to engage the metal surface of the shuttle 88. Movement of the counter wire from the surface of the shuttle plate 88 by wire dropped from the shuttle 52 may be used in an electrical circuit to indicate the number of loops of wire dropped onto the core. Supported on rod 97 is a further bracket arm 107 which in turn supports a magnet 108. Magnet 108 is adapted to magnetically secure lever arm 99 when the shuttle and brush 103 are pivoted from their operative winding position into a shuttle loading position.

A toroidal core may be formed on the embodiment of the invention described herein in the following fashion. A toroidal core of suitable dielectric material is positioned on the shuttle 52 in a position indicated at 109 in FIG. 3. The shuttle 52, as previously indicated, comprises a split ring which may be opened so that the core 109 can be threaded onto the shuttle. Suitable means, such for example as shown in US. Letters Patent 2,872,123, may be used to support this core. After the core 109 is positioned with the shuttle extending through its opening, wire is laid onto the shuttle 52. These shuttles 52 are normally provided with very small holes in the side wall or bottom which are adapted to engage a free end of the wire being loaded. The operator thus engages the free end of the wire to be loaded and causes the shuttle to rotate in a counterclockwise direction as viewed in FIG. 3. (The wire is loaded just above the location of the core 109.) The operator lays a number of turns of wire into the groove 110 of the shuttle 52 until suflicient wire is contained within the groove of the shuttle to permit the subsequent winding of the core. After suflicient wire is loaded onto the shuttle the operator then moves the end of the wire which extends from the shuttle a short distance to the right causing the wire to jump from the shuttle 52 toward its trailing edge, thereby causing a loop to be dropped from the shuttle 52 and over and outwardly of the shuttle plate 88. Preferably the operator then passes the free end of the wire between the shuttle 52 and the chord-like line 89 of the plate 88 with the wire then being pulled at its free end by the operator to the left of the shuttle as viewed in FIG. 1. The purpose of this move is to permit a more uniform deposition of wire from the shuttle onto the core. This more uniform deposition is attained because the core moves in a counterclockwise direction as viewed from the top in FIG. 1. The free end of the wire is thus in a leading position and the counterclockwise rotation of the core as it is being wound causes deposition of the wire in loops about the core in successive trailing locations. The operator then causes the shuttle to rotate any desired number of turns until a suflicient number of loops have been deposited from the shuttle onto the core. Each successive deposition of a loop about the core occurs in substantially the same fashion.

Illustrative successive locations of the wire as it is being dropped from the shuttle and as it passes over the shuttle plate 88 into closing or tightening loops about the core is illustrated in FIG. 3 by numerals 110 to 114 respectively illustrating successive positions.

What is claimed is:

1. In a toroidal coil winding mechanism the combination of an annular shuttle having means for supporting a length of Wire adapted to be interengaged with a toroidal core to be wound with said wire, said shuttle having its periphery lying in a plane, an elongated Wire engaging band extending laterally on either side of said plane and in longitudinal adjacency to and radially outwardly of said shuttle, means providing an arcuate portion against which said band bears and over which said wire is drawn, comprising a shuttle plate positioned adjacent said shuttle with said plate having an arcuate periphery extending radially outward of said shuttle periphery along a portion thereof, said wire engaging band comprising an elongated flexible member having a resilient surface engaging said arcuate periphery and spaced from said shuttle periphery, support means for said shuttle, means securing said band in fixed operational relation to said support means, and drive means for rotating said shuttle in said plane about a circular path coaxial with said shuttle axis, and means securing said band for movement from an operational position wherein said surface engages said portion of said arcuate periphery to a nonoperational position spaced therefrom.

2. A toroidal coil winding mechanism as set forth in claim 1 wherein said portion of said arcuate periphery is flared toward said plane.

3. A toroidal coil winding mechanism as set forth in claim 2 wherein said resilient surface is formed with a series of spaced laterally extending grooves adjacent to said portion of said arcuate periphery.

4. A toroidal coil winding mechanism as set forth in claim 2 having means engaging said shuttle at a point longitudinally beyond said wire engaging means with said shuttle engaging means having elements thereof extend ing into said shuttle for engagement with wire carried by said shuttle, and means securing said engaging means having Wire engaging element against movement as said shuttle is rotated.

5. A toroidal coil winding mechanism as set forth in claim 4 wherein said wire engaging band, comprises a flexible metal band having a resilient member bonded to one side thereof, said means for securing said band for movement comprising a lever mechanism with means securing said band to one end thereof, said mechanism having another end pivotally secured to said support means, and means for clamping said lever mechanism in an operational position.

6. A toroidal coil winding mechanism comprising a device as set forth in claim 5 wherein said shuttle engaging means comprises a wire brush with said elements comprising bristles extending into said shuttle.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,171,119 8/1939 Belits 2424 2,726,817 12/1955 Barrows 242-4 2,894,699 7/1959 Onisko 242-4 2,916,221 12/1959 Onisko 242-4 3,061,213 10/ 1962 Gorman 242-4 BILLY S. TAYLOR, Primary Examiner 

